Before the Fall
by RaiLei
Summary: Before the Heartless ran rampant, Radiant Garden was a peaceful city. However, the day the sky went dark and creatures started emerging from the shadows - was the day they could never forget.
1. 01: Tifa

Radiant Garden – the City of Light; where dreams were endless.

At least, that's what the billboard outside her apartment said.

If dreams were endless, she would have succeeded in becoming a well-known pianist in the Elite Circle.

Instead, she had worked multiple jobs in order to pay the rent on time and still couldn't afford to move out of the Lower-City.

On her eighteen birthday, she decided to forgo her dream of being a famous pianist; how long had that score sat unfinished on her desk? She pulled all her savings together and bought a once-popular bar on the main street from its' elderly owners.

She didn't have time for her dreams, not if she wanted to pay her bills on time.

Throwing all her attention at the bar, she managed to turn the bar into the _place-to-be_ in the Lower-City. Everyone knew of the _Seventh Heaven_. It was the place everyone seemed to migrate to as the workday finished, meeting up with their friends to have a bite to eat.

At least until the recession hit and folks had to mind their pennies.

Taxes went up as construction started in the City Circle, rerouting the foot traffic that past the Seventh Heaven. The grid system was strained due to the current construction zone, often leading to hours of burnouts.

The lights in the Seventh Heaven Bar blinked, making Tifa raise an eyebrow.

She noticed the slight sway of the light overhead, casting moving shadows on the counter, making her raise an eyebrow.

Frowning, she glanced at the drink she'd just made, the ice clinking against the glass.

Hadn't she felt a tremor earlier when she'd stopped to talk to Aeris at her flower shop?

"You alright, Teef?"

Tifa nodded, a knee-jerk reaction as she glanced up at Barrett, the burly man a regular at the bar.

"Yeah, I'm fine . . . just thinking –"

And that's when the lights went out.

The bar was suddenly shrouded in darkness, the karaoke machine in the corner cutting off mid-song, the hum of the mini-fridge behind her silent.

"You forget to pay your hydro bill?" Barrett asked, his glass clinking down on the countertop. "I know it's been rough for you lately –"

Tifa couldn't explain it, but she felt a shiver run up her spine, her hands curling into fists. Narrowing her eyes, her instincts telling her to run, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, stepping out from behind the counter. "It's been a while since Radiant Garden had a burn out . . ."

It had been a month since the last one; the rumor was something had gone wrong up at the Castle.

"Looks like that's your last call," Tifa laughed, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Drinks on the house – just this once," Tifa added, taking the glass out of Barrett's grasp.

"Fine, fine, you drive a hard bargain, Teef," Barrett laughed, shuffling off the bar stool.

Tifa laughed, shaking her head, ushering the burly man out of the bar, flipping the sign from _'Open'_ to _'Closed'_ at the same time. Subconsciously, she glanced upwards – her piano and her unfinished musical score calling out to her – when she saw it out of the corner of her eye.

Two glowing, yellow orbs.

Yet again, Tifa felt the shiver run up her spine.

Narrowing her eyes, her stance tense, she jumped back as the yellow orbs _moved_ , narrowly avoiding the swipe of sharpened claws.

"What?!" Her hands balled into fists, her eyes taking in the yellow orbs – noticing there were now more than one, their movements jittery. "What – what is this?"

Despite the fact that she hadn't practiced marital arts in a few years, instincts took over. The brunette moved towards the door ten feet away from her; which seemed to send the yellow orbs into a frenzy as they surged towards her – sharpened claws reaching out for her, scraping her arms, her legs as she pulled back her arm, sending a punch at the window proclaiming _"The Seventh Heaven"_ , knowing she didn't have time to fumble with the multiple locks on the bar door.

Jumping through the window with the momentum, Tifa landed lightly on the cobbled street, the stinging pain from the broken glass pushed away to the back of her mind. She would deal with that later.

The streets were chaos.

The streetlights were off, the setting sun casting eerie shadows across the street.

Storefronts were closed, their doors locked.

Shopping bags were forgotten in the middle of the road.

There was a din of noise around her – feet hurriedly hitting the pavement, a scream, a guttural cry as the glowing, yellow orbs found their prey.

And everywhere she looked – the creatures with the glowing, yellow orbs were emerging from the shadows.

It was . . . chaos.

Shaking her head, Tifa spared a glance back at her bar – the window shattered, the creatures spilling out of the space; standing on hind legs, their antennae's twitching in anticipation. Taking a deep breath, Tifa steeled herself, and left her bar – her pride and joy – behind.

She saw the creatures out of the corner of her eye as she ran.

She didn't pause when she outran someone, hearing them cry out in surprise moments later as claws raked down their back.

She knew she couldn't fight the strange creatures – her fist having just gone through them. As if the creatures were made out of smoke.

She didn't stop as she reached the end the intersection – she knew no car would be coming – making a quick turn, her mind racing for an answer.

It was obvious Radiant Garden was under attack.

It didn't make any sense though – who would attack and for what reason? What were those creatures?

She glanced up as the Castle loomed over the city, casting this section of the city into the shadows.

There was a rumor that something had been going on at the Castle lately – hadn't Cloud mentioned something in passing?

Her mind whirled – would the defenses of the Castle be down, the guards trying to protect their citizens? As she thought that though, she realized one thing – she had yet to pass anyone from the Castle.

"Are they behind –"

"TIFA!"

Unprepared, Tifa's eyes widened as she whirled around on her heel, pulling her fist back, and –

"Calm down," Squall's gruff voice cut through her focus, trapping Tifa's fist in his hand. "We're getting out of here – get to Cid's."

Cid's? She nodded though, remembering the retired pilot on the outskirts of the city. "What are these things?" Tifa spit out, noticing the creatures were being drawn to them – stationary targets – their antennae's twitching in anticipation.

"No idea –"

"Hey, where's my dad?" Tifa raised an eyebrow at the quiet voice. She cast a quick glance behind Squall, noticing that Aeris stood there, her dress ripped in a couple places, a squirming Yuffie in her arms. "I want my dad!"

"We're trying, Yuffie," Aeris mumbled, running a hand over Yuffie's hair. "I was babysitting at the shop when Squall phoned – our district's completely overrun now . . . "

Tifa cast a glance back at the looming Castle – Aeris and Yuffie lived near the Castle Gates; as did all families who had relatives working there.

"I know," Squall said, catching Tifa's gaze. "Highwind's leaving in ten minutes. I need to find Rinoa."

Tifa nodded, dodging as she saw a flicker of movement to her left, one of the creatures lunging at her, claws outstretched.

Even Squall's Gunblade ran through it, leaving not a single scratch.

Yuffie let out a strangled cry, burying her face in Aeris's shoulder. "It's going to be okay," Aeris mumbled, running a hand through the girl's hair. "Don't be late, Squall – you know he won't wait."

Squall nodded, distracted as his Gunblade ran through another creature. "Take care of the kid," he said, dodging another swipe from the sharpened claws, heading in the direction of the Market Square.

"Where's Cloud?" Tifa asked as they ran, ignoring the cries of fallen civilians as she stared straight ahead.

"I haven't seen him," Aeris said, adjusting Yuffie's weight in her arms, her free hand gripping a metal rod. Tifa didn't even bother asking about the rod she held; it was a desperate attempt to stay alive. "I'm sure he's alright . . ."

Tifa didn't reply, skidding to a stop as she noticed a burly creature ahead; his glowing eyes noticing them. It swung its bulky arms back, the chains adorning its chest rattling together as it turned, charging.

"Get the kid to Cid's," Tifa said, digging her running shoes into the pavement, curling her hands into fists. "I know the way – seven minutes."

"But –"

"Just GO!" Tifa shouted, surging forward, her eyes intent on the burly creature charging for her.

Could the creature sense she was a fighter?

That she wouldn't die easily?

Tifa was used to surviving – she'd had to fight for everything she had. Her parents had passed away when she was seven, leaving her to grow up in an orphanage. Prior to being in the orphanage, she had been a piano prodigy, even being invited to perform at the high-class parties up at the Castle. However, she shied away from the piano after the accident, focusing her anger into martial arts; which was where she met Cloud Strife, the sullen blonde having been chosen as her tag-team partner.

They couldn't stand each other at first, barely communicating beyond a sigh of annoyance. She supposed it changed when they heard about the fabled _Coliseum_ and the trials opponents faced in the ring.

"Where are you, Cloud?" she muttered, dodging another charge from the Large Body, her kick sailing right through the creature. "You've never not shown up . . ." she mumbled, ducking a punch sent in her direction.

She bit out a curse as she noticed a couple pairs of yellow orbs seeping out from the cracks in the pavement, briefly noticing she'd been cornered between the alley walls and the oncoming creatures. She sighed, glancing up at the sky – fire-red from the setting sun. "I'm not giving up," Tifa said, squaring her shoulders, pushing her hair back. "I'm not dying –"

Her thoughts died off, hearing a familiar sound – an engine.

". . . I'm a survivor," Tifa finished, shaking her head, ignoring the glowing yellow eyes, the twitching antennas, and the clanging of the chains adorning the Large Body. "And I'm not dying here!"

As she surged toward, fist drawn back to meet the creature head on, the rev of the engine became louder, a headlight veering around the corner, heading straight towards them. Tifa grinned despite the fact that her fist flew through the creature – it was no different than him picking her up any other night.

"Cloud!" She shouted over the din, casting the vehicle a quick glance.

She grinned as she heard the slight change as Cloud changed gears, holding out her hand as he approached. And like every other time he picked her up, she felt his gloved hand close around her wrist, and with little effort she stepped up onto the foot plate, jumping onto the seat behind him.

"It's about time!" she said, settling in behind him. "We've got to get to –"

"Highwind's, I know," Cloud said, veering around another corner. Tifa noticed the hilt of his Buster Sword, the weapon hidden within the side of Fenrir. "Aeris said you were near the bar."

"Had to draw them away," Tifa said, staring straight ahead. She didn't want to see the destruction surrounding them, the ravished bodies on the street. "She had Yuffie with her, what was I supposed to do? Aeris couldn't stay –"

"Where's Leonheart?"

"Looking for Rinoa," Tifa shook her head. "He's not going to find her in five minutes . . . do you think he'd leave without her?"

"If she was at home . . . he's already too late," Cloud said, changing gears as they turned another corner, the street widening around them. "The beachfront's too close to the Castle – the darkness is coming from there."

"Another experiment?" Tifa said, the wind carrying her voice away as they sped up, the outskirts of Radiant Garden eight blocks away.

"Perhaps," Cloud shrugged, veering to avoid a Wyvern swooping down from the rooftops. "They rarely tell us Soldiers anything."

Tifa sighed, leaning her forehead against his back. "Radiant Garden is finished . . ." It was something they'd read about in school, worlds vanishing as the light was snuffed out – it was supposed to be a myth though. "Squall better show up . . ."

She had known the brunette for a few years – she had been watching Aeris' flower shop when he'd shown up, looking for something to impress Rinoa. Having little knowledge of flowers, and Squall's nonchalance about flowers, they had hit it off, forming a friendship over the years.

Three blocks to go – three minutes left.

"We're not going to make it," Tifa muttered, digging her fingers into Cloud's shoulder, Cid's make-shift hangar a pinprick in the distance.

"We'll make it," Cloud said, revving the engine. "It's still in the hangar – Aeris will try to convince him to wait as long as he can."

Tifa grinned slightly, Aeris could be rather persistent. Her grin faded as she noticed the final rays of the sunset glinting off the Hangar's roof – a roof that was opening. "CLOUD!"

"I see it," Cloud said, ignoring Tifa's tightening grip. "There's still time."

They had just passed the last block, leaving the high-rise buildings behind; the houses further apart on the outskirts, the yards larger.

Eight properties to go.

"Cid would choose the _farthest_ house," Tifa rolled her eyes. The light reflecting off the hangar roof blinded them as they approached, causing Tifa to duck her head into Cloud's shadow, the blonde reaching for his sunglasses. Tifa's stomach dropped as a white hull appeared in the hangar's opened roof, painted red by the final rays of the sunset. "After all this . . . we're not going to make it."

Four properties to go.

A figure appeared in the hangar door, glancing over their shoulder.

"It's Aeris," Tifa breathed, not realizing she had been holding her breath.

Cloud nodded, not bothering to reply.

"Tifa! Cloud!" Aeris shouted, Fenrir one property away, the sound from the Highwind's propellers drowning her out. "Cid – they're here. Everyone who's coming . . . they're here."

Cid stood at the top of the ramp, a cigarette between his fingers, obviously agitated at waiting. Yuffie was inside the Highwind – naturally, Cid had named it after himself – being occupied by the Duck Brothers. Leon was at the bottom of the ramp, a gash caused from a run-in with these creatures' sharpened claws across the bridge of his nose. Aeris didn't even think he'd noticed, his inability to find Rinoa in the chaos weighing on his mind.

"I'm sorry Squall . . ." Aeris said, resting a hand on his arm, ignoring his scowl. "Rinoa isn't with . . ."

Her words died off, as Squall wrenched his arm away from her, turning his back on her as he ascended the ramp. "It's Leon."

Aeris sighed, casting a glance at Cid, who frowned before taking another drag on his cigarette. Squall wasn't the only one who was losing people – Cid couldn't find Shera in town, and his nieces Rikku and Yuna had gone to the beach for the day.

"I ain't waiting much longer, Aeris," he said, flicking his cigarette away. It didn't matter if the cigarette lit something on fire – they weren't returning. "Shoulda' already left."

"I know," Aeris mumbled, unconsciously wringing her hands together.

She grinned faintly when Fenrir appeared on the front lawn, Tifa hopping off the bike as it slowed. Aeris saw her say something to Cloud over her shoulder, the blonde nodded as he discarded the motorcycle on the lawn without a backward glance – not something he usually did, but Aeris didn't miss the grimace appear momentarily on his face as it connected solidly with the ground.

"Hurry up!" Aeris shouted, stepping back onto the metal ramp. She knew Squall was behind her, ready to close the hatch the moment Cid gave the all-clear. "Just another –"

She stopped mid-sentence as she felt a tremor, shaking her balance, wincing as her knee connected with the ramp. "We're leaving – the Castle just fell." Leon stated, having pressed the ascension button for the ramp. "Any longer and we're finished."

"But they're right –" Aeris jumped as something solid connected with the metallic ramp, making her eyes widen. On instinct, her hand curled around the metal rod – a curtain rod – as she whirled around, expecting to see one of those shadowed creatures. Would Cloud and Tifa be looking up at them from the hangar? "CLOUD!"

The blonde Soldier had his Buster Sword slung across his back, his hair ruffled in the wind, his expression unreadable. Aeris let out a sigh of relief, he was okay. She shook her head, scattering her thoughts as Cloud reached down, Tifa digging her elbows into the rising ramp in an effort to lift herself up.

"Tifa!" Aeris shouted, surprise and relief in her voice as she scrambled forward, reaching out for the bartender.

"We survived . . ." Tifa mumbled, disbelief on her face as she tumbled to the ground in relief, Cloud having released her arm. Behind her, the ramp ascended, falling into place with a final thud, the airlock releasing the hatch doors of the hull. "I've never felt my heart beat that fast," she said, placing a hand on her still-pounding heart.

"Luck was on your side," Aeris said, dropping the curtain rod as she approached Tifa, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We waited as long as we could . . ."

"Couldn't wait another . . . minute, Squall?" Tifa grumbled, shrugging off Aeris' hand as she glared up at Squall, the brunette watching them from across the corridor. "We were right there!" she yelled, standing up, curling her hands into fists. "We saw the hangar roof opening when we left the city limits – we saw our final escape leaving without us! I heard Aeris say we were there – we were ten feet away."

"Tifa . . ." Aeris said, holding her hands up. "We've all lost –"

"You couldn't find Rinoa," Tifa said, frowning momentarily. "But, that doesn't give you the right to leave your friends to die!" she exclaimed, aggravated.

"The Castle fell," Aeris said, stepping in between Tifa and Squall. "Radiant Garden was finished – Cid was leaving _effective immediately_."

"Whoever made it on board," Cid's voice boomed over the speakers. "Get yerselves up here immediately."

Glancing at each other, the four nodded – they could continue this conversation later. Their feet pounded down the metallic corridor, the hydrologic doors opening for them, bursting onto the bridge moments later, freezing in place.

Radiant Garden stretched out below them, looking vastly different from how they remembered.

The well-renowned beach was gone, sparkling-black grit replacing the waves, eerie shadows converging on the white sand.

The Castle had taken extensive damage; some of the walls were completely blown away, leaving the interior visible. Winged creatures flew around the turrets, similar to the Wyvern that had swooped down on Cloud and Tifa.

The streets were no better, darkness was pooling through the streets, snuffing out the streetlights, enveloping the houses. A few minutes more and all of the Lower-City would be engulfed.

"This is awful," Aeris said after a few minutes, breaking the silence. "Looking down on it makes it look worse . . ."

"We're the only survivors," Tifa mumbled, gripping the railing. "No one's going to survive that onslaught." She thought briefly of Barrett, the burly man visiting her bar often – he was gone, consumed by those things.

Cloud sighed, turning his back on the scene. "It was a fight or flight situation," he said lowly to Tifa, dropping a hand on her shoulder. "You had no choice."

"What am I going to tell Yuffie?" Aeris mumbled, frowning. "She's only seven, she's not going to –"

"Tell her the truth," Squall said over his shoulder as he left the bridge. "She'll understand someday."

Aeris sighed, watching Squall walk away, knowing he was thinking of Rinoa. "But, what are we going to do? We can't hover over Radiant Garden . . . it's going to become a black hole once it's devoured."

"We're finding a new World," Cid said, looking away from the destruction. "They're out there."

"That's impossible," Tifa said, closing her eyes. "Even if they exist out there, there's barriers – we're not going to be able to fly through it."

"Barriers are down," Cid said gruffly, steering the Highwind away from the remains of Radiant Garden. "Being high-up in the Military . . . you learn things, things you wish you were oblivious too. That's why I left – I knew this was a possible ending to their experiments," he shook his head, staring straight ahead. "This was a back-up plan I hoped I wouldn't need," he mumbled to himself.

"You knew this might happen?" Tifa repeated, narrowing her eyes. "You _**knew**_ Radiant Garden might – let go of me, Cloud!" She tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp with little avail, opting to glare at him in annoyance.

"If you think someone like Sephiroth would listen to him? That the _great_ Ansem would care what a _mechanic_ thought?" Cloud shook his head, letting go of Tifa's arm. "Leaving the military was probably his only choice. Although, I'm surprised they let you walk away with that information."

"They didn't know," Cid shrugged, steering the Highwind away from the remains of Radiant Garden. "That's the beauty of bein' a mechanic – no matter how great you may be, they don't see you."

Aeris frowned, glancing around at everyone, various expressions on their faces.

Cid was staring straight ahead, intent on steering the Highwind through the alleys between the Worlds.

Tifa's arms were crossed in front of her, frowning as she warily watched Cloud; the blonde Soldier quietly trying to reason with her.

Squall leaned against the railing, lost in thought.

Aeris shook her head, the silence pressing in on her. "I'm going to check on Yuffie . . ." she mumbled, turning to leave the silent bridge. No doubt the Duck Brothers would be getting tired of Yuffie, who had probably disrupted their inventory organization by now. "Just let me know when we're approaching a World, okay? Yuffie might like to see it . . . maybe it will cheer everyone up . . ." she added as an undertone as the bridge door closed behind her.

"I hope we'll return one day too . . ." she mumbled, her smile faltering momentarily.

However, she knew she'd have to be the light for them.

Someone had to try to remain cheerful in the many dark days ahead.

# # #

A/N – I'm intrigued by the idea of life before the fall of Radiant Garden and the lives of the Final Fantasy cast before they meet up with Sora.

Originally, I was working on a different story (which will end up being Chapter 2 here!) which I kept editing things out as I was getting off track and adding too many characters and thoughts into it. All my deleted thoughts ended up in a dump word file of mine and I ended up deciding to run with it and write this as a companion piece . . . which ended up becoming the _main_ piece in the end.

The ending isn't exactly how I wanted it, but I found the ending hard as I have a couple other ideas in my dump word file about life between Radiant Garden and Traverse Town.


	2. 02: YRP

Rikku – 17  
Yuna – 19  
Paine – 18 

When she had boarded the train to Radiant Garden for a summer adventure – she'd had a different plan in mind.

She hadn't expected her Uncle Cid to meet her at the Station, tapping his foot impatiently. "Your parents called," was all he said, taking out his pack of cigarettes.

Rikku rolled her eyes, shouldering her backpack. "I'm not going home – Yunie's studying at the Academy," Rikku grumbled, fixing her ponytail. "I can just –"

"Sorry kiddo," Cid interrupted, shaking his head. "Yuna's in her final semester, the kid's got some wicked studying to do before her Finals next month."

"Then, I'll sleep . . . oh! Yunie said she'd seen Paine around town last week, I wonder if she's still here?" Rikku mumbled to herself, pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

"You ain't gonna have a lot of time for that," Cid said, shaking his head as Rikku flipped her cell phone open. "We've got a lot of work to do back at the Hangar."

Rikku paused, raising an eyebrow as she looked up from her phone. "You've got to be kidding me! I didn't go on vacation to work."

"Take it up with your parents," Cid grumbled, walking past her. "At least, Shera'll be happy to see you again."

And just like that, her summer adventure derailed.

June finished off quietly, July rolling in with that hot summer weather she loved.

Instead of hanging out at the beach, she was helping out at Cid's Hangar on the outskirts of the city.

Her plans of meeting people at Yuna's dorm were swapped for short one-word answers from Squall – who seemed to be the only worker at the mechanic shop that Cid trusted.

August arrived with another bout of the heatwave; making RIkku sigh as she walked from the house to the Hangar. Her summer plans: beach, boys, new friends, and adventure were almost out of her grasp – her eighteenth birthday a week away.

She had hoped to celebrate the day at the famed Radiant Garden beach; the annual end-of-summer Flower Festival taking place the day before – all with her new friends. When she had made the plan on the three-hour train ride, she hadn't envisioned a quiet night-in with Cid and Shera.

On the day of the annual Flower Festival, she was frowning up at the hull of the Highwind – Cid's five year make-work project practically completed. "I've got to go into town," Cid said, thrusting the blueprint into Rikku's hands. "I know you can handle it."

Subconsciously, Rikku grinned, gripping the blueprint tighter.

How many times back home had she been told to leave the mechanics to her brother and his friends?

Perhaps Uncle Cid _did_ see what her parents couldn't. Her mother had mentioned that Cid used to belong to the Radiant Garden Military, an Ace Pilot, until he quit ten years ago. He sold his house in the heart of the city and chose to move the outskirts of the city, turning an old greenhouse into a makeshift Hangar. No one knew why he had such a change of heart, he wouldn't say why, only claiming it was a difference of opinion. Not even Shera would say why, only saying she didn't miss the hustle and bustle.

"You can count on me," Rikku said, turning on her heel, unrolling the blueprint on the workbench. "Think you'll get to test her out before I leave for home?"

"We'll see," Cid said, lighting up a cigarette, staring out at the sky. "I'll be back in a bit – make sure the Highwind's specs are . . ." Cid trailed off, something catching his eye. "Just make sure it all matches the blueprint." He continued with a shake of his head, pulling the door of the Hangar shut behind him with a tone of finality.

Rikku raised an eyebrow as the sliding metal door connected with the frame. Was it just her or did Cid seem a bit frazzled by something? She shook it off, turning her attention to the blueprint – maybe if Cid hurried back, she could still make it to the beach; Yuna having texted her the night before.

However, her excitement diminished when her cell phone pinged off with a text message – Yuna saying where and when to meet her.

"And good mood over," Rikku grumbled, texting back a quick answer; as if Cid would be back within an hour.

She frowned, looking over the blueprint, glancing up at the hull overhead. Running a finger over the page, she frowned – they had done a lot of work over the past month and a half; a lot of the specs that Cid had written in the side had been accomplished.

"What does he want me to do then?" Rikku grumbled, running a hand through her hair. "I'm not a mind reader . . ."

She had seen Squall at the Hangar a couple times – why did he _always_ have to scowl?

Sometimes, he'd be there for hours. The last time he had arrived, it had been just around five p.m., at which Cid had all but collected Rikku's things, leading the blonde out of the Hangar, telling her to call Yuna and have a night out.

As tempting as the idea was – Rikku wanted to know what Squall and Cid were up to.

Shera didn't seem concerned when Rikku mentioned Squall's arrival, only shrugging and saying she'd take dinner out to them later. Rikku raised an eyebrow at that, ever since she had arrived in June, Shera had expected both her and Cid at the dinner table – the Highwind could wait till later.

"Rikku! Why are you still here?"

Rikku jumped, lost in her own thoughts, whirling around on her heel. "Oh! Hi Shera," Rikku grinned, pushing her goggles up off her face. "Uncle Cid gave me his blueprints to go over . . ."

"Nonsense," Shera shook her head, frowning. "You've been talking about visiting the beach since you arrived – call Yuna, go have that _night out on the town_ you've always wanted."

"You mean it?!" Rikku yelled, a wide grin spreading across her face. "You're the best Shera," Rikku grabbed her cell phone, throwing her goggles on the work bench. "Thanks so much!" Rikku added, hugging her aunt before slipping out of the Hangar door.

# # #

"Yunie!" Rikku shouted, running into the Market Square an hour later.

Yuna looked up at her name, grinning as she saw her colourful cousin running towards her. "Rikku – glad to see Cid let you out for the night."

"I see you're as colourful as ever," Paine said, pushing herself away from the ledge of the fountain. "Some things will never change . . ."

"Of course not!" Rikku chirped, pointing a finger at Paine. "But, I see you're still a fan of black, Dr. P! Aren't you going to be hot at the beach?"

Yuna grinned, stretching her arms out before her. "You two never change," she shook her head, hopping down from the water fountain's ledge. "Anyway, the festival doesn't really kick off till later this afternoon – we just came past the Castle Gates, everything's still being set up. They have some really great vendors, there was this one booth last year that sold the nicest perfume. The garden tour is worth a look, some houses go really all out –"

"No doubt Aeris will win again," Paine said, shaking her head.

"She didn't sign up this year," Yuna said, shaking her head. "She's won the past five years," she added for Rikku's benefit. "She's meeting up with us at the beach, hope you don't mind?"

"Course I don't!" Rikku chirped, throwing an arm around Yuna's shoulders. "I've been wanting to meet people all summer – I've only met that Squall Leonheart at the mechanic shop Uncle Cid likes – he won't deal with anyone else!"

"Well . . ."

"No doubt he'll be at the beach too if Yuna invited Rinoa." Paine said, finishing Yuna's thoughts.

Rikku paused, glancing from Paine to Yuna, who nodded. "Ugh!" Rikku groaned, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. "I already see Cid's airship blueprints in my dreams – as if I want to see the mechanic at the beach."

"What is Uncle Cid planning to do with the airship?" Yuna inquired, shoving her hands in her shorts' pockets. "When I visited last time, he wouldn't tell me anything about it. Apparently, it's a _'need-to-know'_ basis and I didn't need to know."

"It's still that way," Rikku sighed. "You'd think he'd tell me though, considering I've been working on it all summer!" Rikku paused, frowning slightly. "I wonder if Leonheart knows – every time he comes over, I get kicked out of the Hangar."

"You should ask Rinoa," Yuna said, heading down the staircase leading away from the Market Square. "She's the only one who Squall confides in –"

"Wait!" Rikku yelped, running down the steps to catch up with Yuna. "You mean to tell me _he_ has a girlfriend?! All he does is scowl . . . and . . . I just don't get it."

"Just wait till you see Rinoa . . ." Paine said, shaking her head.

"From that tone . . . she's got to be some happy-go-lucky person, right?" Rikku said, raising an eyebrow. "If she was silent and moody too; that'd be a _super-fun_ date."

Yuna laughed lightly, shaking her head, emerging from the underground walkway, the beach a couple blocks away. "I suppose so; it's –" Yuna trailed off, raising an eyebrow as she felt the ground underfoot rumble slightly. "What?"

Rikku stumbled on the last step, her palms hitting the cement hard, making her bite out a curse. _I've spent too much time in Cid's company_ , she thought idly.

Paine, keeping her balance, glanced around as the force of the tremor steadily increased.

"Rikku move," she yelled, the blonde sitting on the last step, the overhang of the walkway looming over her head. "Look up."

Rikku scrambled off the last step, attempting to regain her balance as she approached Yuna and Paine. "Does Radiant Garden get a lot of earthquakes?" She called over the din – the groan of a building, the odd cry of surprise from an unsuspecting resident.

Yuna shook her head, reaching out for Rikku's hand for support; the tremors making it harder to stand. "This is the first one I've felt since I started at the Academy – we had some back home, but nothing quite like this."

Rikku nodded, gripping Yuna's hand as she glanced around. Other people in the streets were in similar positions; the tremors working its way up your legs; making it harder to stand. Some people looked out of their windows, various expressions on their faces. "This isn't how I wanted to spend my day off!" Rikku shouted, glaring up at the sky. "I just wanted to go to the beach with my friends!"

"Should we head for cover somewhere?" Yuna pondered, glancing at Paine; her expression unreadable.

Paine glanced around their surroundings – the small book store and a couple houses, the beach blocks away, the waves hidden by rooftops. "We don't have a lot of choices here . . ." she trailed off, frowning. The Market Square was definitely higher ground in case the tremors – earthquake? – caused the effects of a tsunami. "The Market Square would be –"

The tremors started to decrease, earning a raised eyebrow from Paine.

The bells at the Castle – the ones that rang in a case of emergency – rang once.

Twice.

Then – silence.

"That can't be good," Paine grumbled under her breath, having lived in Radiant Garden longer than Yuna. "Something's coming."

"What!?" Rikku hissed, her hands subconsciously curling into fists. "I don't see any –"

"Ahh!"

Yuna jumped at the scream, looking away from the now-silent cathedral bells. Rikku whirled around on her heel, tripping over her feet in the process. Paine narrowed her eyes at the sound, her face unreadable.

The scene in front of them – it made no sense.

A man had just emerged from a store, casting a weary glance at the looming Castle as well when it appeared.

Something moved in the early-afternoon shadows, its movements jittery.

Glowing yellow-orbs caught sight of movement, a chime sounding as the door opened – breaking the sudden silence.

Before anyone noticed, the shadow moved, its claws piercing its targets chest.

It opened its maw – emitting a sound too high for human ears to pick up.

"Wha – what is that?" Yuna said quietly, shaking her head; the black creature looming over its target.

"It's an actor," Rikku replied, shaking her head. "They've got to be filming a movie . . ." She looked around, as if a film director would appear, yelling at them for being in the perfect shot.

Paine shook her head, watching the creature warily, when she saw it – something moving in the shadows. "We've got to go," she said, her voice steel. "We've got to move now."

"What's going on Dr. P?" Rikku said, noticing the change in Paine's voice, raising an eyebrow as she spared her a glance.

Then, the cathedral bells rang off once more, louder than before.

The ground underfoot shuddered once again, as if in response.

Then, out of the shadows – they appeared.

Shadowed creatures, glowing yellow-orbs surveying the landscape, their attention focusing on anything that moved.

"We can't stay here," Paine grumbled, reaching for Rikku's arm. "You'll have to forget the beach – we're leaving."

Yuna nodded, turning her heel as she watched a shadow – this one on two feet – appear out of the cement, sinking its claws into a girl's chest. "The Castle – Ansem will know what to do . . ."

"Forget Ansem," Paine grumbled, pushing Rikku in front of her, heading towards the underground pass they had just left. "We're going to Cid's."

"Why?" Rikku mumbled, frowning as she descended the steps. "I doubt he'll be much –"

"It's the airship. It's his contingency plan. This is why he left the military – apparently they were meddling in things that should be left alone."

"How . . . how do you know all this?" Yuna said, casting a glance over her shoulder. Her heart beat against her rib cage, seeing a pool of shadow appear, a clawed creature appearing. "Cid never talks about his time in the military . . ."

"I heard it all from Squall," Paine said, starting up the set of stairs, leading to the Market Square.

"This isn't making any sense!" Rikku shouted, the Market Square just ahead. "How do you know all this?"

"Squall's my brother," Paine grumbled, reaching the top of the stairs. "Which way to Cid's?"

"Left!" Rikku replied, pointing in the direction she'd come from earlier. "Hang another left at Scrooge McDuck's Shop and then straight till you reach city –" She trailed off, skidding to a stop on the pavement.

Scrooge McDuck's shop was four blocks away at the end of the street, the only thing standing in their way was the rolling darkness – more creatures with the glowing orbs for eyes emerging. Some on two legs, some with jittering antenna's searching for a target, while some floated overhead, jittering at odd moments.

"No . . . this is the way home . . ." Rikku mumbled, running a hand through her hair. "I . . . I . . ."

Paine shook her head, the bell from the Castle ringing out again, its ring consistently sounding every minute. "We'll find another way," she commanded, grabbing Rikku's arm. "The Lower-City is riddled with back alleys. Come on."

Rikku nodded numbly, following after Paine, Yuna behind her. "What has Squall told you?" Rikku asked, trying to keep up with Paine as she took a sudden left, the alley walls tight around them. "And why didn't you tell us you had a brother?!"

"It never came up," Paine said bluntly, most of her attention focused on navigating the back streets. "All I know is the Castle was meddling in matters that should be left well alone, Squall isn't much a conversationalist at home –"

"What the hell could you meddle in that would bring darkness to life?!" Rikku shouted, hearing a scream echo through the narrow alley to them.

"Ask Cid when you see him," Paine grumbled, shaking her head. "Keep moving."

Rikku frowned, a retort on the tip of her tongue when Yuna caught her eye, shaking her head. "Save it for later, we don't have time to fight between us."

"I know," Rikku said, her high-tops skidding on the pavement as she turned a corner, trying to keep up with Paine. "It's just, Cid always said . . . he _hates_ waiting."

"He wouldn't leave without his family," Yuna mumbled, glancing over her shoulder, more creatures bubbling out of the shadows. "We're almost there . . . five more blocks and we're out of city limits."

"Five?!" Rikku yelled, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "We should have ran through the darkness, we could have –"

"You'd have died," Paine interjected, her gaze trained straight ahead, ignoring the pandemonium around them. "But, if you want to have those _things_ on your heels, their claws piercing your chest . . . I don't have time to stop you."

"Guys . . ." Yuna trailed off, her footsteps slowing.

"Yunie!" Rikku shouted, skidding to a stop as she glanced over her shoulder. "We _have_ to keep –"

"We're too late," Yuna said quietly, shaking her head. "We . . . he's leaving."

"What?" Rikku mumbled, raising an eyebrow as she grabbed Yuna's arm, pushing her forward, aware of the darkness at their heels. "We're three blocks away . . . you can't . . . stop!" Rikku yelled, dragging Yuna behind her.

"Paine!" Yuna shouted, wrenching her arm out of Rikku's grasp, pointing to the sky. "We're . . . left behind . . ."

Rikku swiveled around, looking to where Yuna pointed, her eyes widening.

The airship she had spent all summer working on was rising over the buildings, the sun glinting off its metal hull.

Their only chance of survival was departing without them.

"No, no, no," Rikku muttered, shaking her head, her feet carrying her subconsciously forward. "I – I spent all summer working on that!" Her last shred of reasoning disappearing, Rikku broke out in a run, her eyes trained on the rising hull as if she could reach it if she ran faster.

"It's no use," Paine said, grabbing Rikku's arm as she tried to pass. "Even if Cid saw you . . . he wouldn't come back – no, he wouldn't," she added, a retort on Rikku's mind. "He wouldn't risk damaging the only escape to rescue a teenager."

"What do we do?" Yuna yelled, a shiver running up her spine as she approached the two. "I knew we should have gone to Ansem's Castle for sanctuary . . ."

"Castle's practically destroyed," Paine grumbled, nodding in the direction of the castle. "We're on our own, grab something you can use to defend yourself. If we're going to die . . . I'm not standing here waiting for it to come."

"I should have stayed home!" Rikku shouted, jumping back as the darkness pooled near her feet, yellow-glowing orbs appearing.

"We should have gone to Uncle Cid's instead of the beach . . ." Yuna mumbled, backing up.

"No time for what-ifs," Paine said, her back to Yuna and Rikku, watching the creatures close in around them. "Radiant Garden's finished – thank Ansem for that," she added bitterly, nudging Yuna with her elbow.

# # #

The destruction of Radiant Garden was immense.

The once-great City of Light was destroyed; houses were reduced to rubble, debris littering the street.

The silhouette of what remained of the Castle cast a shadow across the Lower City, shadows of various creatures – the Heartless, she had learned – flying overhead, looking for any remaining signs of life.

She tried not to look at the debris, knowing full well that the residents of Radiant Garden had succumbed to the darkness; the bodies she couldn't save lining the streets, prey for the remaining creatures.

She had tried to save as many as she could, sending them away into a deep sleep until Radiant Garden was returned from the darkness. She knew it was futile – the only hope to calm the darkness was a legend, the last bearer lost in a war years prior.

She persisted though – if the Darkness was returning, perhaps a bearer of the Light would emerge. At least, that's what she told herself as she wandered the desolate city, searching for faces she _didn't_ want to find.

Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, she ran a hand through her dark hair glancing at the horizon, the setting sun turning the sky a deep red. She frowned, the sky mirroring the destruction and carnage around her.

 _I know they've escaped_ , she thought idly, glancing up at the sky.

She had thought she had seen the glint of an airship earlier, which had felt like a weight off her shoulders. As much as she wished she could have gone with her friends – had they looked for her, wasting precious moments? – she knew there was work only she could do.

"I hope you'll return one day," she mumbled, running a finger across her necklace. "I was looking forward to spending the day at the beach." The beach trip had been in the works for months, to celebrate the end of their final semester and bring everyone together one final time before careers and life separated them. "Who knew we'd be separated before the beach . . ."

Life was a fickle creature.

"Y . . . you?" She froze in her tracks, the voice cutting through her inner thoughts. "Why are you . . . you should be . . . Rinoa?"

A shiver ran down her spine as she whirled around on her heel, knowing that voice all too well.

"Paine . . ." Rinoa shook her head, rushing over to the teenager, her Blaster Edge clattering to the ground. "Why are you here?! You should be," – here, she glanced up at the sky – "On the airship with –"

"Squall's fine," Paine interjected with a wince, a hand clamped to her side, hiding an injury from sight. "If he hasn't found you . . . he's on that airship. We were trying to get there . . ."

"We?" Rinoa repeated, trying to pry Paine's hand away from her wound, hoping she had enough magic remaining. "What do you – oh . . ." she caught sight of the two girls behind Paine, shaking head. "Cid's nieces . . . I thought they were staying with him? Cura," Rinoa added, pressing her hand against the wound, ignoring the red that stained her hands. "Are they dead?"

Paine shrugged, pushing Rinoa's hand away. "Yuna went down first, it sounded like she hit the pavement quite hard. Rikku had a hard time concentrating after that," Paine shook her head. "Rikku's always getting distracted."

"I was looking forward to meeting her," Rinoa said with a frown, Rikku's hair having fallen out of her ponytail, covering her face. "It's not too late though," Rinoa said, shaking her head. "I can still . . . I have some magic left, I can save them – you."

Paine pushed Rinoa's hands away from her, wincing from the movement. "Radiant Garden's finished, you –"

"I know," Rinoa said with a small smile. "But, it's not the end; the hero of the Light will return, until then . . . _Sleepga_."

Rinoa sighed as Paine tried to fight her spell, her eyes fighting to stay open. Rinoa tried to remain impassive as Paine glared at her, betrayal apparent in her eyes. Nodding to herself as Paine's eyes closed and her breathing slowed, her hand falling away from her wound, Rinoa let out a sigh.

"You'll thank me later," she mumbled, retrieving her discarded Blaster Edge. "I should have just enough magic left . . ."

Months prior, while waiting in the Castle Library for Squall, her lessons done for the day, she had come across a section of books dealing with magic: Proper uses, how to sense certain shifts in the elements, and so forth. She had found the various books intriguing, especially the title-less leather-bound text she found on the top shelf, hidden in the shadows. It had gone into great detail about how to weave strong spells – enough to cause entire cities to fall into slumber and how to magically place slumbering people outside of the flow of time; although it was noted that the magic took a great toll on the caster. Before she could finish reading it though, her mentor Edna had confiscated the book when she found Rinoa attempting to smuggle it out of the library – claiming it was forbidden dark magic, and that the text was said to have been destroyed years prior.

"After that, the magic-casting section was removed," Rinoa mumbled, smiling slightly at the memory. "At least I have a photo-genic memory," she shook her head, closing her eyes, recalling the worn pages.

Focusing her energy on the three teens before her – she could feel Paine's resting energy, although Yuna and Rikku's energy were much duller, fading away – Rinoa held her hands out before her, concentrating on the spell. She pushed aside the thought that she was a sitting target for any wandering Heartless as she felt her remaining magic gather in her hands, slowly enveloping the three.

Feeling the last of her magic leave her, Rinoa let out a sigh as she opened her eyes. She cringed as her leg gave out underneath her, sending the sorceress to the ground, her final act of magic zapping her strength.

"I figured as much," she muttered, pushing her hair away from her eyes. The text was true to the letter when it said weaving such high-level spells would take a great toll out of the caster. No doubt it would be quite a while before she could use magic again. "But . . . they're all safe. They're – no!"

She hadn't had enough magic left as she thought.

Her magic hadn't been enough to transport them completely outside the flow of time.

Unlike the rest of the city's residents, she hadn't managed to completely send them outside the flow of time.

"I . . ." Rinoa shook her head, thinking about her incantation. "I wanted them to be safe until . . ."

Instead, when her magic faded, only the first part of the spell had completed, the three only partially outside the flow of time. At that moment, the remaining threads of magic had one option: sentencing them into crystal slumber.

"Was it because I had been dreaming of the Hero of Light earlier?" she mumbled, picking up the summoning crystal. She frowned, running a hand across the circular object, three sleeping figures etched into it. "I'm so sorry . . . unless the Hero of Light finds –"

She paused, hearing a joyful cry of a Heartless, having found a pure heart. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder, the sound coming from between two houses. Shaking her head, Rinoa picked herself up off the ground – she was a sitting duck with no magic – heading in the opposite direction of the sound, the summoning crystal under her arm.

"Unfortunately, the beach trip will have to wait," she said, tucking the crystal into her vest's pocket as she cut down an alleyway. "I'll make this right; I'll make sure you're set free with everyone else . . ."

# # #

A/N –

I've only played FF8 once, only until Disc 3, and have yet to go back and beat it. While Rinoa wasn't one of my favourite characters, after writing the previous chapter and mentioning Squall looking for Rinoa, the idea kept coming back to me . . . and then this idea came to me while at work during a snow storm.

The idea of everyone's life before the fall of Radiant Garden is intriguing, so as inspiration strikes, I'll keep updating this.


End file.
